


A Friend Indeed

by DarkJediQueen



Series: 2018 Forever Angst Challenges [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Gen, Valentine's Day, canon addiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-15 04:07:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13605192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkJediQueen/pseuds/DarkJediQueen
Summary: What started out as a way to pass the time became a lifeline.





	A Friend Indeed

**Author's Note:**

> **Spoilers** : Up Through Season 7
> 
>  **Notes** : Goes AU in the middle of Season 2
> 
>  **Beta** : Grammarly

# 2005

Grant Anderson was new to the BAU not as a Supervisory Special Agent but just a plain old support agent in the office. He was more than a secretary but not by much. It was a good stepping stone, and he knew it. Grant knew that he wasn't made for pure field work. He passed the tests well enough to actually become an agent, but that was it. He was good support for Agent Jareau in dealing with the media in the various places that the BAU went. He was excellent at finding the text that Doctor Reid wanted. Grant was really good at keeping away from Agent Gideon.

"Anderson?" a voice called out, and he turned to see that it was Doctor Reid, dressed like he always was, looking like a high-end college student who cared nothing for how he looked. Anderson had been born to a family that how they looked was the only thing that mattered.

"What can I do for you, Doctor Reid?" Grant asked, getting up from his desk.

"Nothing but I thought that maybe we could catch dinner together?" Doctor Reid asked he didn't look nervous which on its own was a minor miracle. Grant smiled and looked at the time. It was six, and everyone else in the unit had disappeared by five. Grant wasn't that big on Valentine's Day in general, but he was hungry, and the leftover lasagna that he had made would keep another day, and he could do it for lunch.

"I know a place that we can get some Mexican and not have to worry about lovers taking it over." Grant knew that he had guessed right that Doctor Reid wanted to eat out but didn't want to be seen alone.

"That sounds really good." Doctor Reid looked at his desk and the messenger bag that was there. "I didn't drive in today."

"We can take my car, and I can drop you off at your apartment."

"Thanks." Doctor Reid picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Grant saw that the computer on Doctor Reid's desk was already shut down. Grant shut his down and cleaned up a few files before he grabbed his jacket and his keys. His wallet was already in his suit jacket. It had been warm enough that morning that he hadn't wanted more than that.

The walk to the car and the drive to the restaurant was silent. Grant knew that Doctor Reid liked to talk and they had talked a lot over the months since he had joined the unit.

"So why don't you have a significant other?" Doctor Reid asked as Grant pulled into the parking lot of his favorite place to eat.

"I've not found someone that would make me want to date them. You?"

"I'm not interested in a relationship, but this year it feels different. I think it's Morgan." Doctor Reid smiled at Grant before he opened the door. Grant got out as well and followed the young man into the restaurant. There were a few couples in there, but mostly it was small parties of four or five and a few people eating alone.

"So what do you want to drink?" Grant asked as he pushed over the bar menu to Doctor Reid.

"I don't drink that much. I think I saw too much of it at college before I was able to drink."

"Well, I won't let you go home with anyone strange or let someone talk you up. Everything that they have here is good and cheap and strong enough to knock even Agent Hotchner to his ass." Grant smiled at Doctor Reid.

"Thank, Anderson."

"Call me Grant."

"Spencer," Doctor Reid said back immediately like it was rote and not something that he truly meant. "You pick something and if I don't like it. I'll drive you home and then pick you up in the morning with your car."

"Sure." It wouldn't be the first time that Grant had not had his car with him. "I have a guest room that you can sleep in and we can swing by your place to get you changed."

Spencer shrugged, but he didn't disagree. Grant looked over the drink menu and picked a good one for Spencer before looking at the food menu to pick what he wanted. Grant knew that Spencer had memorized the food menu just from looking at it, but he kept looking at it.

"You know you can close your menu. You don't need to act any different than you are."

Spencer closed the menu and gave a bright smile to Grant before he started to look around at the people around them. People watching was one of Spencer's favorite things to do. Grant watched him as much as he looked at the menu to decide what he wanted.

Drinks ordered as well as food, Grant relaxed back into his chair and looked at Spencer until Spencer looked at him.

"So why me? WHy not go out with Agent Morgan or Greenaway?"

"You don't push me for more than I want to give. You never have. Morgan would push me to put myself out there and someone to go home with, and Greenaway is a little interested in what kind of things I have done before."

"And I'm easy?"

Spencer laughed, using the drink menu to cover his face as he did. "You are not pushy."

A different waiter dropped off their drinks, and Grant picked his glass up while Spencer picked up his lurid green drink. They toasted, and Spencer took a sip of his drink and coughed.

"You are right. Very strong but very good." Spencer took another drink, longer that time.

# 2006

Grant knew that something was up with Spencer had been for a little while. Ever since the case with the starlet that Grant had seen Spencer's face plastered over the tabloids with. Which was just a few weeks before but still something was up, and no one else on Spencer's team seemed to notice or care really.

When Spencer was thirty minutes late getting to the restaurant for their now seemingly habitual anti-romantic relationship Valentine's Day meal. Grant knew that something was making SPencer nervous because he had seen the bus pull down the street and let people off half an hour before and it took that whole time for Spencer to make it inside. Hotch had given his team the afternoon off after getting back to the base around six that morning. Grant had tried to get Spencer to let him pick him up, but Spencer had pushed him off.

Spencer sat down, and when the drink menu was picked up and looked at, Grant knew that he should be a little worried. Thankfully they were in a booth, and Spencer was with his back to the majority of the room and Grant had a good look at everyone who entered. When the waiter came to get their drink orders, Spencer ordered a jumbo margarita on the rocks, peach flavored.

"So...this is the first time I've not bullied you a little into drinking," Grant said as he looked at his own glass of Dr. Pepper and frowned a little.

"I know that you heard the rumors about Lila and me."

"Everyone in the office has, but I don't trust all of it. I know that Morgan has been razzing you about it."

"I don't think that anyone knows what it's like to want to be normal when you can't be anything but it. My intelligence put me apart from other children from age one. Father took me around to play with other children, and I didn't like it. When I taught myself to read by two, my father stopped trying. My reading speed and ability to remember everything that I read showed by my four. Father wanted a child who would play baseball and want to get muddy and rough-house with other boys. I tried when I was seven to be that. I tried baseball, and I tried to play with the other boys, but they didn't like me. I wasn't fast enough when I ran in baseball, and I couldn't hit the ball far enough. I stopped trying altogether when he left mom and me when I was ten. I accepted that I was who I was and didn't try and change for anyone. Even now I just hide who I am and only give people the parts of me that I don't care if I get made fun of for."

"Okay."

The margarita was set down as well as Spencer's glass of water. Spencer picked up the water and drained about half of it before he drank a few gulps of the margarita.

"I was too young in college for anyone to look at me. I didn't look at them either really, too focused on my education. Then by the time that I was the same age as the incoming freshman, it was very evident that I wasn't like the rest of them, so I refocused on my education again. Then it was getting into the FBI and joining the team."

Grant knew that he wasn't needed to say anything, that everything had been inside of Spencer for the weeks since the case. Spencer was ready to tell him everything. Grant was glad that it was him.

"I realized when Lila was kissing me that I felt nothing. There wasn't a spark of anything at all. I went home, and I acted like the team wanted me to, besotted but I felt nothing. I went out, and I found a beautiful woman and I kissed her. I went to one of those clubs that Morgan loves, and I kissed nearly every woman there. Nothing."

Grant said nothing and just took a sip of his drink. Their dinner was delivered, fajitas for two with shredded cheese and extra guacamole.

"What happened next?"

"A guy my age came up to me, and he said that trying the same thing over and over and expecting a different result wasn't the way to go about it. He asked if he could kiss me."

"And?"

"I said yes. I felt something with him. We talked the rest of the night, and I realized that I like men."

"Congratulations!" Grant whispered, and Spencer looked at him like he was shocked. "You figured out something that a lot of people have trouble figuring out, and you didn't have a big freak out unless this is the big freak out."

"You don't care?"

"No. I like girls. You like guys. Means that if we ever do go out to try and find a date, we won't be going after the same sex." Grant raised his glass of pop and Spencer grabbed his water, and they toasted. "So let's get some food in you before you can't hold up a fajita to save your life because I know you didn't eat lunch today."

Hours later, after Spencer had drunk two of the largest margaritas that the restaurant served and Grant had to practically carry him into the apartment, Spencer was asleep in his underwear on the bed. Grant watched him breathe for about half an hour before he went to prepare the coffee pot for in the morning. They were both going to need it if they were going to be able to go to work. Spencer had an outfit ready for himself for in the morning.

# 2007

Grant was unsure for the first time ever about going out with Spencer. The whole office was upset about what had happened to Spencer, but Grant was nervous for another reason. This was the first time that Grant had gone out with Spencer since Grant had messed up nearly got Greenaway killed.

The normal restaurant that the two of them went out to eat at was undergoing renovations, so Spencer had picked a spot to eat at. It was an Italian place that was close to Spencer's apartment. The woman who had seated him was watching Grant with a close eye. There were more couples here than there were at the Mexican place but all of them were subdued. Couples that had been together for a long time. In fact, many were above the age of sixty. Grant had arrived twenty minutes early to their planned meet and was worried that Spencer wouldn't show. The time had been set before that damned case.

Spencer was still on medical leave but had messaged when the team had got back that he still wanted to do their annual friendship meal on Valentine's Day. Grant watched Spencer as he entered the restaurant. The lady who had seated Grant hugged Spencer. Grant saw that Spencer didn't like it, but he tolerated it. As Spener sat down, the waitress dropped off a plate of appetizers. Grant had not ordered that.

Sitting down, Spencer grabbed one of the mozzarella sticks on the plate and dunked it into a container of sauce. Grant realized that the plate had two different cups of each sauce. Grant grabbed a mozzarella stick and dunked it into the marinara sauce. There were mushrooms that he was unsure what they were stuffed with and what looked like chicken tenders. There were little, fried things, and Grant was unsure what they were. There was something in the batter that was green.

"Fried onion strips with an asparagus panko batter," Spencer answered.

"How are you doing?" Grant only knew a little bit about what had happened. The case file had been locked since before the team had got back.

"I don't know how I am doing," Spencer answer and Grant allowed himself to actually look at Spencer. Spencer wasn't going well at all.

"Gideon locked the file. I have no clue what happened besides finding out that you were taken captive by the UnSub."

"What if I told you that I didn't want to talk about it?"

"I would say too bad because you don't look like you are doing okay at all and none of your team seems to give a fuck that you are hurting and alone."

Spencer looked at Grant and Grant was sure that Spencer was judging him or profiling him or something like that. Spencer picked up his messenger bag and handed it over. Grant took it but didn't know what to do with it. Spencer was eating the food, leaving half of each item for Grant, like he hadn't eaten in days. Grant watched him inhale the food before grabbing the glass of water.

"I don't think I can do this alone and I'll understand if you can't help me."

"What?"

Spencer just waved at the bag. Grant didn't like going through it, but it seemed that Spencer couldn't just ask for help outright. Grant saw that there was a lot of things in the main pocket, but that wasn't the one that held what Spencer's problem was. Inside the outer zipping pocket under the flap was a vial. Grant didn't pull it out because only a few things came in vials like that that was legal to carry like he was, but Spencer had none of those issues. That meant that it was illegal.

"Fuck," Grant said as he dropped it down in and set the bag down at his feet. He stepped on the strap so that Spencer couldn't get it from him.

"I'm probably going to throw all of this up. The papers inside are on the detox, but I figure that whatever I can get from it before I do."

"What..." Grant stopped because even if Spencer had gone to Gideon, the agent probably told him that he needed to do it himself. "Right. I'll get dinner to go, and I'll call in sick tomorrow, maybe longer. Sally on the fifth floor went home with that stomach/gastrointestinal bug and was home for four days. That'll cover the rest of the week for me."

"I already ordered your food to go. The appetizer isn't good cold. Finish it up. I took the bus. I don't...I don't think that I can do this alone and you were the only one that I thought about when I knew that I needed help."

"Anything."

# 2010

Grant watched as Spencer settled down on the couch with his leg up. While Spencer was doing a lot better on his own now, the single-digit temperatures of the past week had SPencer's leg aching so instead of their normal meal out, Grant had picked up burgers, fries, and milkshakes from the burger joint that Spencer liked.

"So what are we going to watch?" Grant asked.

"Doctor Who? You said you wanted to start the New Who since we finished the old while I was staying with you."

"You didn't need to do a third-floor walk up on crutches. Plus it was nice to have someone to live with for a little while. I realized that I don't want to have a roommate, which I was thinking about because no one is going to be like you."

"No, no one is going to be like me." Spencer reached over to grab a box with food in it. Grant watched his eyes widen at the fries that were inside. Spencer had only ordered fries, but Grant had got him the cajun fries. There were five cups of ketchup inside because Spencer dipped his fries in it as well as his burger. The burger was in the next box for him to put it together. Their toppings were in another box.

Grant watched Spencer put together his burger with lettuce, tomato, bacon, and jalapenos, the pepper jack cheese was already on it. Grant swore that Hotch had been the one to do that to SPencer's palette. Spencer hadn't eaten hot things until he had started to talk about doing small things with Hotch after Hotch's divorce. The burger joint was a place that Grant knew was closer to Hotch's apartment than Spencer's, but he had to agree that the burgers there were delightful.

Spencer grabbed a cajun fry and ate a few of them without dipping them while Grant was putting his burger together with just pickles and tomato. He had chosen provolone cheese for his burger and regular fries. Spencer turned on the TV and Grant saw that the Doctor Who logo was frozen on the screen. Grant motioned, and he leaned back on the couch. Spencer had his food stretched out in the area made by his leg on the couch while Grant had his in his lap, lid of the burger holding the fries as he dumped them over. Spencer dipped his burger into the ketchup before taking a bit, grinning as he did. Grant was happy about the second milkshake that was in the freezer for when Spencer drained his first one.

Grant had got them both two, the first were both coffee flavored as Spencer had got Grant addicted to them while the second was chocolate peanut butter for Spencer and banana for Grant.

Three hours later, Grant was stuffed on too much burger, too many fries, and way too much milkshake. Spencer was asleep on the couch even though it was only nine. Grant didn't want to leave him behind. The nightmares about Foyet and his effect on the lead BAU team were thankfully in the past, but that didn't mean that more wouldn't pop up. The BAU as a whole was just months away from feeling like they could breathe again.

There was a knock on the door, and Grant quickly jumped up from the couch to answer it before Spencer woke up.

"Oh, sorry Anderson, I must have got the addresses mixed up," Hotch said.

"No, this is Spencer's apartment. I brought him dinner. He's asleep on the couch."

"I brought him a milkshake, chocolate peanut butter." Hotch held up the cup that matched the one that was empty in the trash from where Grant had cleaned up.

Grant waved Hotch inside. Grant shut the door and took the milkshake that Hotch offered over.

"I'll put it in the freezer. Spencer doesn't need a third one tonight, but it'll be a nice treat for him tomorrow."

"I wasn't aware that his complex was a walk up."

"He stayed with a friend until he was on a cane and even then he had his groceries delivered. Don't worry." Grant didn't want to betray Spencer's confidences.

"Good."

"And don't feel bad, you were dealing with just as much and was sidelined as well."

"He's my team member, and I should have asked more about him." Hotch looked around the apartment and at the screen no the TV. "What's that?"

"Doctor Who. We are working through the seasons of the New Who." Grant wondered how long Hotch was going to stay and why the man was there.

"I'll take my leave now. Are you staying the night?"

"No. Spencer only has a single bed and no matter the case, I don't like to share with another man. Spencer's couch also really sucks," Grant said.

Hotch gave a smile to Grant that Grant had never seen before on his face as he looked up from where he had been looking at Spencer. Grant though was shocked that the look was in response to Spencer.

# 2012

Grant heard the knock on his door and frowned. He looked at his frozen meal that seemed as unappealing then as it had when he had bought it, but it had been the only thing that hadn't made him want to throw up at the sight of it. The smell of fresh cooked meat and fries assaulted him before he even opened the door. A bag was thrust at him before Grant could even see who it was. He reached for his gun until he looked down to see converse in his sight.

"Spencer, what are you doing here?" Grant asked as he lowered the food to look at his friend.

"Aaron is hanging out with Idris and bonding over being left alone on Valentine's day. This is our eighth year, and I'm all for traditions. Aaron made plans for us for tomorrow. I'm not leaving you high and dry."

"I would have understood."

"I don't do that to my friends," Spencer said, and the tone left nothing to Grant's imagination on what Spencer meant. Grant knew the little bits of what had been going on in the team since Prentiss's return, but he had been shocked when Spencer stayed on the outside, with only Grant as a friend.

Whatever had happened over the vacation to West Virginia, Spencer had come back with a boyfriend and a technical new boss at work. Grant still heard Rossi bitching about the paperwork that Hotch getting a relationship meant for him.

"I've got the newest season of Doctor Who for us to watch and food. Burgers and milkshakes. I got the good burgers and borrowed a pizza carrier from a boy in my building so that it all stayed warm. So are you going to let me in?" Spencer looked at Grant with a pouty tilt to his lips. There was a chime on Grant's phone, and he debated making SPencer go home to Hotch.

Instead, Grant stepped into the apartment and waited for Spencer to come in. Grant grabbed his phone and looked down. It was from Hotch. Hotch telling Grant that spending the night with Spencer was okay with him and that Hotch was glad that Spencer had Grant as a close friend. Hotch was happy that someone had made Spencer's Valentine's Days worth it over the years.

"So burgers and yes I got mine the normal way. I got you yours your normal way. I got us cheesecake for dessert. They had a berry swirl."

"I don't have any pop laid in."

"I got milkshakes. I'm going to have to up my run for a few days."

"I don't know, a few extra rolls in the sack might do it," Grant said with a grin. Spencer was in the process of sitting down. He fell down onto the couch and stared at Grant.

"Did you really just make a joke about Hotch's sexual life?" Spencer asked.

"Yeah, I guess that I did and that is weird as hell. Do you call him Hotch all the time?"

"I did not come here to talk about my boyfriend. No, I do not. It's hard not to when around other co-workers though." Spencer glared at Grant before standing up. Grant heard his fridge open and shut, figuring that Spencer was putting up the cheesecake. Grant grabbed the DVD from Spencer's bag and turned on his TV and DVD player. He loaded up the first disk before moving back to get his burger built. Spencer settled onto the couch again and started on his.

Spencer leaned back on the couch when he had his fries in the top of the burger. The milkshake was tucked into his leg between it and the couch. Grant started the first episode.

Grant had been afraid that this would go away. That he would lose his friend. It didn't help that Spencer's team had been out of the office for nearly the entire time since he had got back from the vacation. There were only texts and two phone calls. The first had been from Hotch's bathroom after that first night that Spencer had stayed in Hotch's cabin. Grant was happy for his friend, and he was even more glad that Spencer wasn't going to abandon him for his new lover and his lover's son.

"Disappointed that you didn't bring Idris."

"Well, I couldn't break Aaron's heart and take everyone away from him. Jack is out with Jessica. Jack saved up enough money for the meal deal at that little diner that they like to go to. I think that maybe Aaron helped him, but it was adorable."

Grant clapped Spencer on the shoulder and turned to the TV. He realized that the frozen TV dinner was gone from the coffee table. He peeked into the kitchen and didn't see it there.

"What did you do with the TV dinner?"

"Threw it away. It looked just as sad as you seemed to be when I opened the door. Got rid of the reminder of what you thought was happening." Spencer grinned at Grant before tucking into his fries.

Grant felt really good about things for the first time in a little while.

# The End


End file.
